Serafina's Stories

Anaya blends Spanish folktales with Pueblo Indian myths to create a charming New Mexican version of the Arabian Nights.

Library Journal

Anaya, well known for his classic Bless Me, Ultima, presents a New Mexican version of the story of Scheherazade and The Arabian Nights. Set in 17th-century Santa Fe, this loosely woven story centers on the governor, who must pass judgment on a group of Pueblo Indians charged with conspiring against the government. Serafina, one of the Indians, persuades him to release a prisoner for every story she tells him, provided that she entertains him. Thus, Anaya presents a dozen New Mexican folktales through Serafina's storytelling. Many of the stories are familiar, although the setting is different. Though Anaya is sometimes preachy as he relates the governor's conflicted feelings about the treatment of the Indians, the folktales themselves are interesting and draw one in. Like the governor, the reader looks forward to the next night and cares about Serafina's fate. Recommended for public and academic libraries, especially those with an interest in Southwestern literature.-Christina Mart nez, Univ. of Colorado Lib. at Colorado Springs Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Rudolfo Anaya, widely acclaimed as one of the founders of modern Chicano literature, is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico. Anaya was presented with the National Medal of Arts for literature in 2001 and his novel Alburquerque (the city's original Spanish spelling) won the PEN Center West Award for Fiction. He is best known for the classic Bless Me Ultima.